Airplane landing light



Feb. 16, 1932. s. w. HYATT AIRPLANE LANDING LIGHT Filed March 21. 1931 INVENTOR. .S/m'uez 'nf (fr/err.

A TTORNEYJ.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES.

v PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL W. HYAT'I, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO INDIANA LAMP COR- PORATION, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION AIRPLANE LANDING LIGHT Application filed March 21, 1931. Serial No. 524,330.

This invention relates to a landing light for airplanes, and more particularly a stationary light adapted to be mounted on the under surface of the wings, or fuselage.

The principal object of the inventlon 1s to provide a fixed lamp of this character adapted to be partially housed within the wing and partially propecting therefrom at an angle for deflecting the air current. The pro]e cting portion is associated with a streamhne housing for minimizing the wind resistance.

One feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of the lens with respect to the reflector and source Oflight, wherein a forward beam is obtained through the medium of suitable prisms formed through the lens, which beam is adapted to illuminate the ground ahead of the airplane. Another portion of the lens is free from prisms for permitting a direct beam to be projected downwardly and only slightlyforwardl-y for illuminating the ground in front of the plane in the more immediate vicinity.

Other features of the invention reside in.

the construction and mounting of the reflector and support therefor within the wing and the mounting of the lens thereon.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and t-he'following description and claims:

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammaticalillustration of an airplane with the lamps mounted therein indicating'the direction of the respective beams of the lamps. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through a portion of the airplane wing and the lamp mounted therein.- Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the lamp when mounted in position.

In the drawings, there is illustrated an airplane having a pair of wings 11 in which a dome housing '12 is mounted. Said housing is formed of sheet metal and is provided with the flanges 13 which are rigidly secured to the under surface of the wing by the bolts 14.

Secured to the dome housing on the rear side thereof there is a socket support 15 securedin position by the bolts 16 and insulating washers 17. Supported by the support 15 there is a socket 18 having a-battery'connection 19 and ground connection 20. Said socket mounts an incandescent lamp bulb 21 within the dome in the usual manner. Surrounding the bulb and secured by the bolts 16 to the dome there is a parabolic reflector 22, the upper portion of which extends upwardly within the dome and the lower porvtion extends downwardly therefrom.

Secured about the exposed lower periphery I of the reflector 22 and to the underside of the wing there is a streamline housing 23 for minimizing the air'resistance resulting from the exposed portion of the lamp.

Mounted over the front of the reflector there is a lens 24 having a metal rim 25 located about the peripheral edgeand provided with an car 26; ,The peripheral edge of the reflector is provided with a grooved flange 27 in which an annular gasket 28 is mounted against which the metal rim of the lens is adapted to bear. The lens is secured over the .open face of the reflector and against the gasket 28 by a screw 29 extending through'the ear '26 and projection 30 secured to the streamline housing. By this means the lower portion of the lens is clamped tightly in position against the gasket 28 and therebysecured to the reflector. At the upper'end of the lens a bronze spring 31 is riveted to thedome housing in position to engage and yieldingly press against the lens for holding it in position. Thus the lens is yleldingly secured over the front face of the reflector at the up per end thereof by the spring 31 and removably' locked at the lower end thereof by the screw 29. f

The lens is provided with a plurality of light deflecting prisms 32 extending laterally across the 'inner surface thereof. Said prisms are so formed as to bend the rays of light reflected by the parabolic reflector from the source upwardly with respect to the axis of the reflector, whereby this group of rays in the operative position of the lamp will be projected substantially forward for illuminating the groundaheadof the airplane.

' The upperportion of the lens is free from i said prisms so that the light rays will project therethrough without refraction to be directed parallel with the axis of the lamp to 3 resistance,

' wing, r 45 extending upwardly into said recess a lamp 5 housing and inclined so illuminate the more immediate the ground in front of the plane. The outer surface of the lens is providedwith the usualvertical flutes or prisms for spreading the 5 rayslaterally so that the beams of light will cover a substantial area.

By reason of the above described construction, a stationary airplane lamp is provided having a minimum of wind resistance and which will permit of ready removal of the lens for giving access to thebulbs, the lens serving to not only spread the provide two distinct beams, one for forward illumination and the other for more immediate illumination.

The. invention claimed is: 1. The combination with a wing of an airplane, of an airplane landing light including a dome-shaped housing mountedtherein' above the under surface thereof, a parabolic reflector fixedly mounted so that its axis ex- 7 tends forwardly and downwardly of the air- 7 plane, aportion of said reflector'extending upwardly into said dome and a portion there- 2 of extending downwardly therefrom, a source of light mounted within said reflector, a streamline housing secured to the rear of the exposed portion of said reflector and'to the underside of'the wing for minimizing wind and a lens removably secured over the face ofs'aid reflector'for receiving the parallel rays projected therefrom, a portion of said lens being provided with prisms for deflecting the rays and'directing. them more forwardly than downwardly to illuminate the remote forward area while the remainder of said lens isfreefrom said deflecting prisms for permitting the rays to pass thcrethrough parallel with he axis of the reflector to il-,-

luminate the more immediate forward area 2. The. combination with a wing of an air-- plane, of an airplane landing light including a recessformed in the under surface of the ametal dome secured to said wing and socket mounted on the exterior of said dome,

portion of for holding it under light laterally, but 'p spring'tension against said'gasket, andan ear protruding from the rim of the lens on the lower side thereof adapted to removably secure said reflector to the streamline housing.

3. The combination with a wing of an airplane, of an airplane landing light including avrecess formed in the under surface of the wing, a metal dome secured to said wing and extending upwardly into said recess, a lamp socket mounted on the exterior of said dome, a

of said'dome to one side thereof, means for se-' curin said socket and reflector thereto, a lamp ulb carried by said socket and having a source 'of light substantially at the focal point of said reflector, the upper portion of said reflector extending within said housing and the lower portion thereof without said housing and inclined so that the axis thereof is directed forwardly and downwardly from on the lower side thereof adapted to be removably secured to said reflector and streamline housing, and means formed on said lens for deflecting the light rays passingrtherethrough at an angle to the axis of the reflector for illuminating the more remote for ward area, a portion of the lens being free thereof for permitting rays to be directed parallel with the axis of the reflector to illuminate the more immediate area.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aifixed my signature.

. SAMUEL W. HYATT.

a parabolic reflector mounted on the interior of said dome to one side thereof, means'for securing said socket and reflector thereto, a- 50 1 bulb carried by said socket and having a source of light substantially at the focal point of saidreflector, the upper portion of said reflector. extending within said housing I and. the lower portion thereof without said is directed forwardly and downwardly from the airplane, a streamline housing secured to the rear of the reflector and the under surface of said wing of said reflector for receiving a gasket therein, a lens having a rim mounted about the periphery thereof, a spring member secured to the under side of said'dome housing adapted to bear against the upper edge of the lens for minimizing wind re- 1 sistance,a flange formed about the periphery that the axis thereof 5 arabolic reflector mounted on the interior 

